[Child of the 7th Age]

Suddenly, a fourth figure slipped into the water. Unlike Child and Rose, he swam with grace. He cut through the waves without effort, with no foam or splashing visible on the surface for he was indeed completely comfortable in this environment. Kali descended to the bottom faster than either Child or Rose. Only Bird could manage to keep up with him.

Kali saw the tunnel looming ahead, then deftly slipped inside and closed the door. There was air to breath and only a few inches of water on the chamber floor. The strangest thing of all was that this tunnel looked just a bit like a hobbit hole, one of the poorer and rougher ones that you might find tucked into the hillside of the Shire itself. It wasn't terribly frightening, but instead looked comfortable. It was also less fancy than most hobbit homes you would see today if your journied to the Shire. Indeed, it seemed as if it belonged in a simpler time.

Kali had never even seen the Shire or a hobbit hole on land, but he had heard many stories from Child, and knew how such a home should look and feel. This strange, cozy, and very simple tunnel was just like his dreams. The room had a small bed, a table in the middle, and even what looked like an ancient kitchen where fires had once been lit and fine meals shared.

Around the wall were simple representations carved in stone. There were one or two that seemed to be pictures of hobbits, although their hair was very long and their curls stuck out in all directions. They were wearing what appeared to be animal skins. There was also a stone reief of what seemed to be a tall young man in a long robe, his face glowing with light and holding a staff.

On the table itself there sat a single chest, sealed tight against the waters. Kali thrust the chest under his arm and made his way back towards his friends.

Just as he was leaving the chamber and had secured the door tightly, the old stone archway began to shiver and shake. Stones held tight for thousands of years slowly began to crack and pull apart. Kali was barely able to swim a few feet away when the entire structure caved in on itself. Whatever else was down there was beyond their reach or the reach of any others who might be searching.

Kali collided into Birdland and showed her the small chest. The two swam swiftly together back to Child and Rose, helping the latter reach the boat again. Birdie quickly morphed back into her land-dwelling form. Rose, Child and Bird were first to surface, with Child spluttering and coughing. Kali followed a short distance behind, weighed down by the burden of the chest. Then they climbed up a rope ladder thrown down to them by Veritas, and stood safely on deck again.

[ July 18, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]